Relieved wrench socket for holding either a nut or headed fastener



F P SCHLICHTING 2834,240

May 13, 1958 RELIEVED WRENCH SOCKET FOR HOLDING El'lHER A NUT 0R HEADED FASTENER Filed June 1]., 1956 7 z J I\\ INVENTOR. FREDERICK F! SCHLICHTING TTORNEY RELIEVED WRENCH SOCKET FOR HOLDING EITHER A NUT OR HEADED FASTENER Frederick P. Schlichting, St. Louis, Mo., assignor to ACF Industries, Incorporated, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of New Jersey Application June 11, 1956, Serial No. 590,527

2 Claims. (Cl. 81-125) This invention relates to socket wrenches, and more particularly to a wrench socket member embodying means effective to retain a nut or bolt head within the socket until removed therefrom by the user.

In the use of socket wrenches, it is sometimes necessary to apply or remove a nut or bolt vertically within a limited space, and it is, therefore, desirable to provide the socket wrench with means to retain the nut or bolt within the socket during such operations.

It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide means within a wrench socket effective to retain a out or bolt head in position therein until removed therefrom by the user. 6

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a conventional socket wrench having nut retaining means formed within the socket, thus eliminating the use of extra parts such as have heretofore been provided on socket wrenches to retain nuts or bolt heads therein.

The invention embodies other novel features which are hereinafter set forth in the specification and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view, taken along the line 11 of Fig. 2, illustrating a socket wrench embodying features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation showing the front end of the socket wrench;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view, corresponding to Fig. 1, illustrating a hexagonal nut detachably engaged within the socket wrench;

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of same;

Fig. 5 is an end elevation, corresponding to Fig. 4, illustrating a modified form of the invention.

Referring now to the drawing for a better understanding of the invention and more particularly to Figs. 1 to 4 therein, the socket wrench is shown as comprising a socket member 6 having at the front end thereof a nut-receiving socket 7 of the 12 point type comprising 12 longitudinally extending, circumferentially arranged ribs 8 defining grooves 9 therebetween to receive the corners of square or hexagonal nuts 10.

The inner ends of the ribs 8 terminate at an annular abutment wall 11 provided to limit movement of the nut into the socket. The back end of the socket member 6 is formed with a noncircular opening 12 to receive a conventional wrench handle (not shown) employed to rotate the socket member.

The ribs 8 are interrupted intermediate their ends, adjacent the front end of the socket member 6, by an annular groove 13 to provide inner rib sections 14 and outer 2,834,240 Patented May 13, 1958 rib sections 15, the outer rib sections each having an inwardly facing abutment surface 16 disposed in a plane substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of the socket member, and the inner rib sections each having a diagonal end surface 17 converging outwardly toward and merging with its respective abutment surface 16.

To retain a square or hexagonal nut 10 within the socket 7 of the member 6, the nut'is tilted within the.

socket, as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 to dispose marginal portions at one side of the nut in abutting engagement against abutment surfaces 16 at one side of the socket. When the socket member is suspended from a wrench handle with its socket 7 facing downwardly, it will be noted that the nut will be retained in its tilted or cocked position within the socket by means of gravity. It will be apparent that the nut is removable from the socket when coaxial therewith.

Fig. 5 illustrates a modified form of the invention which is similar to the embodiment heretofore described, except that only the ribs 8 along one side of the socket 7 are interrupted by a semi-circular groove 13a to form inwardly facing abutment surfaces 16 on outer rib sections 15 for abutting engagement with adjacent marginal portions of nuts angularly disposed within the socket. This form of the invention is otherwise similar to the form heretofore described.

While the invention has been shown in two forms, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited but is susceptible of various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. In a wrench of the character described, a member having at one end thereof a socket provided with longitudinally extending circumferentially spaced ribs to engage a nut, said ribs being interrupted adjacent the outer end of the socket by a groove to provide inner and outer rib sections, the inner ends of the outer rib sections having abutment surfaces for abutting engagement with marginal portions of a nut when the latter is tilted within the socket, each abutment surface being disposed in a plane substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of the socket.

2. In a wrench of the character described, a member having at one end thereof a socket of the 12 point type provided with twelve longitudinally extending circumferentially spaced ribs to engage a nut, said ribs being interrupted adjacent the outer end of the socket by a groove to provide inner and outer rib sections, the inner ends of the outer rib sections having abutment surfaces for abutting engagement with marginal portions of a nut when the latter is tilted within the socket.

References Cited in the file of this patent Ross Feb. 8, 

